Eurobarometer is the polling instrument used by the European Commission, the European Parliament and other EU institutions and agencies to monitor regularly the state of public opinion in Europe on issues related to the European Union as well as attitudes on subjects of political or social nature.

Eurobarometer provides quality and relevant data for experts in public opinion, researchers, media and the public.

The Eurobarometer project was initiated in 1974 within the European Commission by Jacques-René Rabier, former collaborator of Jean Monnet and Director-general for Information, and was first conceived as a means to “reveal Europeans to themselves”. Since then, it has evolved and expanded significantly with different survey tools. In 2007, the European Parliament started commissioning its own regular series of Eurobarometer surveys, focussing i.a. on topics specific to the European Parliament, including the European elections. In addition to the European Commission and the European Parliament, several EU institutions and agencies now use Eurobarometer surveys.

The combination of the wide range of topics covered consistently over a long time, the regularity of publications and geographical coverage makes the Eurobarometer a unique source of knowledge and information in the European Union.

How Eurobarometer surveys are organised Standard Eurobarometer The Standard Eurobarometer is the flagship public opinion survey of the European Commission. It is conducted twice a year and focuses on monitoring key trends relevant to the European Union as a whole, European Commission priorities as well as contemporary socio-political events. It allows analysing long-term trends in attitudes related to European affairs.

The Standard Eurobarometer surveys are generally conducted in a face-to-face interview format in all EU Member States and some additional countries and territories.

Special Eurobarometer Special Eurobarometer surveys are in-depth thematic studies relevant to the activities of the European institutions. These can range, for example, from topics such as climate change to social issues, cybersecurity issues or discrimination.

The European Parliament’s own Eurobarometer series, conducted regularly since 2007, are also labelled Special Eurobarometer. Parliament’s Eurobarometer surveys focus on the one hand on citizens' perceptions and expectations towards EU action, and the main challenges the Union is facing. An annual ‘Parlemeter’ survey measures the European Parliament’s public image and role as well as public opinion with regard to EU membership and its benefits. A dedicated set of EP Eurobarometer surveys gauges Europeans’ interest in the European elections every five years. Pre- and post-electoral surveys measure citizens’ interest in these elections and the key issues at stakes as well as voting behaviour and motivation.

Special Eurobarometer surveys use the same methodology as Standard Eurobarometer surveys. Special Eurobarometer surveys are mostly conducted in the EU Member States.

Flash Eurobarometer Flash Eurobarometer surveys are ad-hoc thematic surveys, carried out within a short timespan on a wide variety of specific topics relevant to the activities of the European institutions. They are characterised by reliance on either telephone or online interviewing methods. Flash Eurobarometer surveys are mostly conducted in the EU Member States.

Qualitative Studies In addition to quantitative public opinion surveys, Eurobarometer also covers qualitative studies. These studies assess in detail the attitudes, opinions, expectations, concerns etc. of the public or of selected social groups through focus groups or in-depth individual interviews. Though they are not meant to be representative of the population as a whole, qualitative studies can offer valuable insights and avenues for further exploration, in a given topic.